What to pack in Easter baskets this year

JACKSON, Tenn. — With Easter around the corner, now is a great time to find perfect gifts for the kids on your shopping list.

This year experts are suggesting toys and games to serve as an alternative for candy.

“The nice thing to toys is they’ve got a lot of repeat play value to them. So you know, if you got that chocolate bar you’re going to down that chocolate bar and be done with it immediately. But with these sets, especially like the candy cart, for example, kids are going to come back and they’re going to be able to craft something new. They’re going to be able to craft different types of candy each time they want to,” said toy trends specialist Jennifer Lynch.

Lynch says playing with toys gets kids up and active off the couch, and also helps with physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.

“One of the things that we’ve been kind of tracking over the past year is this idea of offering a little social emotional support and comfort and a lot of families have been turning to play to do that. Stuffed animals are really perfect for that. And when you think of an Easter basket, you think Easter bunny, but you can throw any kind of stuffed animal inside,” Lynch said.

Additionally, the Toy Association says toys often provide an opportunity for children to learn by engaging their senses, sparking their imaginations, and encouraging them to interact with others.

“The Lego John Deere tractors set is really great for parents and kids to build together. It’s for ages eight and up. It’s part of the Lego Technic line. So it has got these movable parts, these mechanisms to it. So a little bit of early introduction to engineering concepts as well,” Lynch said.

According to the National Retail Federation, families were planning to spend close to $180 on average for Easter presents in 2021, and similar spending is predicted for Easter 2022.

The Toy Association says to double check age recommendations when deciding what goes into an Easter basket.

For the Toy Association’s list of this year’s must-have’s, click here.

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